m/v Leif H has a foredeck winch like m/v Sitka Spruce. Richard, what can you say about anchoring with cable? Are you doing it? That depths are they anchoring in? What size/type cable?

Wed Jan 11 17:53:56 EST 2012 | Terry

ny thought about using wire .... IT'S CHEAPER !!

Wed Jan 11 22:29:26 EST 2012 | Richard Hudson

George, the most common anchor cable setup I have seen on Alaskan fishing boats is some chain attached to the anchor, and then a lot of wire cable. No snubbers.

The fishing boats do have lead weights, though (for fishing with), and they can be slid down the wire cable to where the chain attaches, adding a lot of weight close to the anchor.

I can't say quite what depths or what scope is used, but Alaska is a deep-water place.

The cable is just galvanized steel wire, nothing special as far as I can tell.

A few weeks back we discussed the use of wire for anchor cable in more detail here, http://www.sailblogs.com/member/rhudson/?xjMsgID=203250 .

I'm quite interested in the use of wire/chain anchor rodes, but am not using them myself.

Terry, yes, wire is much cheaper than chain and rope. A drum winch that brings a long mixed (ie chain and wire, or chain and rope) anchor rode up without any messing about with stopping off one part while switching to a different type of winch drum has a lot of appeal.

Looks like Sitka Spruce has a cable winch for anchoring with wire cable? Do you see that much?

Sun Jan 8 21:19:09 EST 2012 | Richard Hudson

What I see a lot of is hydraulic winches that use wire cable with a chain leader for anchoring. I think both the anchor and chain have been removed from Sitka Spruce (perhaps for the off-season), and that is why they only have wire on the anchor winch.

Mon Nov 26 6:45:39 EST 2012 | chris stock

I'm the new owner of the Sitka Spruce. Bought her in July on 2011. I live in Philadelphia, but travel there as often as possible to fix her up.

Sea Lion looks like she might be a 'Buy Boat', taking the catch from fishing boats to the fish house ??

Sat Jan 7 9:20:31 EST 2012 | will

built 1946. wooden hull. almost has the lines of a buoy tender in a prior life, but i can find no evidence. hmmm? how long you plan to stay in alaska?

Sat Jan 7 12:11:17 EST 2012 | Richard Hudson

George and Will, thanks for the comments. I just rowed by one day and took a picture, thinking it was a self-propelled barge, but not knowing its purpose. Will, when you found it was built in 1946, I guess you also found out it is a passenger vessel used for eco-tourism.

Tug Adak Tachometer

RichardThu Jan 5 12:43:48 EST 2012, Sitka, AK

This is the tachometer in the engine room of Adak.

As it is a big, slow-turning engine. the redline is about 350 rpm in either forward or reverse.

The engine is connected directly to the prop shaft, there is no transmission (marine gear). The engine is air started. Changing from forward to reverse involves stopping the engine and restarting it in the other direction. One cannot frequently change from forward to reverse and back again because it takes time to build up enough air pressure to stop and restart the engine.

What a fun project restoring such a boat must be!
Interestingly, we still see quite a few vessels with direct coupled shafting.
Mariposa Cruises' 144 foot dinner-cruise boat the Captain Matthew Flinders, docked at the foot of Bay Street at TO's Harbourfront has such equipment, albeit with DC electric engine cranking.
In more modern engine applications with reverse gears, air cranking of the larger engines is actually a preferred and sometime only viable method.

Wed Jan 4 9:20:15 EST 2012 | Richard Hudson

Joe, thanks for the info. I didn't know direct coupled shafts were so common.

Wed Jan 4 13:44:00 EST 2012 | gjberta

No, not so common nowadays Richard, the Captain Matthew Flinders is just an old boat. Doesn't look like it, but she is.
Air or pneumatic cranking is common however. Some large engines even have a smaller diesel engine dedicated to cranking - there are some pretty big internal combustion engines out there in commercial shipping....

Thu Jan 5 14:18:38 EST 2012 | Amos

Harland and Wolf made diesel cylinders taller than a small house which reversed by air that way. They had enough reserve air to assure harbor manuvers, but the snipes had to be very much alert to execute bridge commands fast.

Fri Jan 6 6:51:15 EST 2012 | Richard Hudson

What (or who) are snipes?

Fri Jan 6 11:31:18 EST 2012 | AMos

Sorry--engine-room personnel. They would stand watch by the throttles and respond to engine commands rung down from the bridge by means of a telegraph.

What a lovely boat Richard! Looks to be a real surviver too. Is she still working? Looks like they are taking good care of the face of her wheelhouse, all covered up. Helps those wooden structures to be in the colder salt waters. Don't imagine the worms are an issue in those climates?

Mon Jan 2 16:19:58 EST 2012 | Richard Hudson

Joe, thanks for your comment. Yes, a very nice boat. She is not currently working, but is being restored. I don't know the whole history yet.
Richard